Expectations
by whitecrossgirl
Summary: AU: When Imogene Jones comes home from uni; she has more than just a degree. But when pregnant women all over the city are disappearing and their corpses mutilated; soon Imogene has more to worry about than having John Hart's baby. Part of my Imogeneverse
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is for BrookeSCW who bribed me with mini-eggs until I decided I would write this. **

Three years of partying and studying had now finished. The graduation ceremony had been done and dusted and the hangovers of Graduation Night were raging strongly. Imogene finished packing up her stuff and gave her room a last sweeping look. The past three years had been mental but it was time to be a proper adult now. Imogene picked up her two bags and walked out of her bedroom. Her two flatmates were half-awake, having been out until four in the morning. Imogene hugged both Laura and Grace before leaving the flat for the last time. The three of them had lived together since the end of their first year when they had to move out of Campus Accommodation. Laura had finished her nursing degree and Grace's degree was in musical theatre. Using her student discount pass for the last times, Imogene got to the station and sat on the 10:50 to Cardiff and left London behind to return to her hometown and the chaos that was her family once more.

The train pulled into the station at around one o'clock and as Imogene dragged her bags off, two small people bounded towards her and latched onto her legs. Imogene grinned and hugged the twins. Six years ago today they had been born. As they let go, Imogene hugged her brother Ianto and her brother in law Jack. As they walked through the train station Jack and Ianto apologised repeatedly for being unable to get to her graduation but the rift doesn't stop for anything. Imogene just shrugged and muttered that it was alright; she had more pressing matters on her mind. Jack and Ianto shared a look but didn't think anything of it. Imogene was probably just tired.

After three hours of hyperactive five and six year olds at their house celebrating the twin's birthday, Imogene was ready to slam her head off a wall. Imogene helped to tidy up the house before retreating into her room and shutting the door. She lay down on her bed and hugged herself. everything had changed and nothing would be the same again.

"Hey can I come in?" Ianto asked, holding a cup in his hands.

"Sure," Imogene replied sitting up.

"Is everything alright?" Ianto asked, handing over Imogene's tea which she sipped slowly.

"Yeah, it's probably the remnants of the hangover leaving me now. Having the little kids around all afternoon doesn't help." Imogene replied.

"Is there anything else? It's been a while since we had some time alone to talk." Ianto probed gently.

"Not a lot, I start full time at Torchwood tomorrow right?" Imogene asked. That had been the deal made when she finished her A Levels three years ago. She went away to university and when she came back home; there'd be a job in Torchwood waiting for her.

"If you want it to be. The others can't wait to see you again. Little Adeola's been waiting to see you again too." Ianto replied with a smile. Adeola was Mickey and Martha's two year old daughter. Ianto remembered the day Martha said she was pregnant and Adeola had been born on Mickey's birthday. They'd named her after Martha's cousin who'd died at Canary Wharf. Ianto had been emotional when he learnt what Martha and Mickey had called their child. Lisa and Adeola had been best friends before that day…

"Yeah, that'd be cool. I need to unpack my stuff." Imogene said, swallowing more of her tea and getting off her bed. Ianto noticed that she seemed to have put on a bit of weight but shrugged it off as he left Imogene alone. Every student lived off fast food during university; it was rare to be able to afford anything else. A bit of weight gain by the end of university was natural really.

When Ianto left, Imogene sat down on her bed again clutching her stomach. She didn't know how to tell him. She had wanted to as soon as she got home but she was scared at how they'd react. She was only twenty one. Imogene knew she wasn't ready for this. Aliens and monsters; bring it on but this… this was a whole other battlefield. Imogene could still remember _Him_. He was hard to forget really. How it felt when he kissed her, when his touch made her body feel like it was on fire. How he'd made her feel things that she'd never felt before.

It hadn't worked out between them. It could never have had. They were too different. She was a university student from twenty first century Cardiff with mind powers stronger than anyone else on earth and an unusual family and he…

Well…

He was Captain John Hart.

Imogene could still remember the day when she ended it.

_It was seven in the morning and Imogene had woken up beside her on-off boyfriend John Hart. She had been thinking about it a lot recently and she knew it had to end. It wasn't like Ianto and Jack's relationship. John couldn't live life in 2015 and she knew even she couldn't make him stay. His life and love was found in jumping through centuries scamming and stealing and breaking every law he could. Her life and love and lady was found in her normal life here on Earth. She didn't want to leave and he didn't want to stay. It was better for both of them to remain friends._

_Imogene shook John awake._

"_What?" John asked; he wasn't a morning person._

"_I don't think we can do this anymore. It can't work out, I'm sorry John." Imogene whispered and explained why it couldn't work between them. John nodded and understood. He climbed out of bed and got dressed. Then he gave her a last kiss goodbye and vanished with his Vortex Manipulator._

A week later she started getting sick in the mornings. It wasn't hard to work out what had happened. She was pregnant.

She was pregnant with John Hart's baby.

And she couldn't tell him.

She had no idea where he was or what time period. She didn't even know how he'd react. She didn't know how to react. Imogene had spent weeks in between lectures and working and coursework thinking about what she was going to do. She couldn't blame John, he'd forgotten to wear a condom and she'd forgotten her pill. This was her problem to deal with. It was too late for an abortion; she couldn't have done it anyway. The child had done nothing wrong; it was its parents who were at fault. She only had two options: have the baby adopted or keep it. Imogene hugged her stomach, grateful that her baggy hoodies were able to conceal her growing stomach. Imogene knew she couldn't hide from the truth forever.

"Ianto and Jack are going to kill me." Imogene whispered to herself.

She remembered what had happened when Ianto and Jack found out she was dating John. They'd left the café and Ianto and Jack had only just made it to her room before threatening to disembowel John if he ever done anything to hurt Imogene. Then they'd made her promise to be careful. The last thing the universe needed was another John Hart running around. Imogene began to cry. She was so scared, so bloody scared. The idea of becoming a mother; of some little baby relying on her to survive was terrifying. She just wanted it all to go away.

"Why couldn't I have had a normal life? Why?" Imogene wept and eventually cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews and notifications. Just so you know the stuff about the women is pretty dark.**

Thirty three year old Chloe Swanson walked through the street lamp illuminated streets of Cardiff. She'd just come from her older sister Kathy's fortieth birthday party and decided to walk home to try and ease off the nausea she felt. However the six month old kicking mass in her stomach was making sure it didn't happen. It had been a surprise to her and her fiancé David to find out she was pregnant after they'd spent three years trying for a baby. Chloe already knew she was having a boy; the nurse who did the ultrasound had told her at her twenty-week scan but Chloe had kept the news from David; he had wanted it to be a surprise. She wanted to call her son Liam or Anthony or maybe Mark. Chloe took a shortcut down an alley and felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She was being followed. Chloe walked faster and could hear the footsteps following at an increasing pace. Fear crept into Chloe's heart as she remembered what was on the news and she began to run. But she couldn't run for long and the last thing she remembered before it all went dark was something hitting the back of her head.

~~~~~~TW~~~~~~

Imogene slowly dragged herself out of her bed. The morning sickness had abated a few weeks before hand; something she was thankful for. It was hard enough vomiting in the mornings in London even though Laura and Grace could sleep through a bomb exploding. Imogene dressed in loose jeans and a baggy green hoodie before going down to get some breakfast. All she could manage in the mornings was weak tea and a slice of unbuttered toast, anything else made her nauseous and even the scent of strawberries had her feeling like she was going to die without any. Imogene had researched pregnancy on the internet and figured out her craving would be strawberries. In the kitchen Alex and Listelle were bickering while eating their cereal.

"Right you two are you ready to go to school?" Jack asked.

The twins nodded and ran to get their schoolbags. Imogene sat down at the table and turned her attention to the morning news.

"A second body has been found and it's believed that the body is that of nineteen year old Nikki Roberts who had been seven months pregnant. Ms Roberts vanished without trace two weeks ago and her family have been informed. Ms Roberts is the second missing woman to have been found dead after the body of Sophie Anderson was found on Monday. A third woman, Jamila Mousset is still missing. Police are asking that anyone who has any information on any of the three women to please come forward. This is Gregory Smith reporting for BBC Wales in Cardiff."

"Horrible isn't it?" Ianto said turning away from the television.

"It's for the police to deal with, not us." Imogene shrugged and went to climb into the car beside the twins.

In the hub Imogene was greeted with hugs from Tosh and Martha and Owen and Mickey welcomed her back. As they sat talking about what had happened while Imogene had been away, little Adeola toddled over and gestured to Imogene that she wanted up. Imogene picked her up and rested her on her knee. As Imogene held Adeola, she couldn't help but think that in five months' time she'd have a child of her own. Martha and Tosh noticed Imogene's changing emotion and shared a knowing look. It was a look Tosh had seen on Jack when he would worry about being pregnant and it was a look Martha wore throughout her pregnancy. It was a look that meant _'how the hell am I going to look after a baby?'_

At lunchtime Martha and Tosh left the hub with Imogene and sat down in a sandwich shop after getting their sandwiches. Imogene devoured her chicken and lettuce sandwich before looking at Martha and Tosh.

"Imogene, is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Tosh asked gently.

"No," Imogene replied wiping her mouth.

"Then can you explain why you looked at Adeola as is she scared the life out of you and why you've not been acting like yourself all day and also, nothing personal but you seem to have put on some weight." Martha pressed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Imogene denied swallowing half her strawberry smoothie in one.

"Don't try and get one over on us. You're pregnant aren't you?" Tosh asked as they finished their sandwiches and left the sandwich shop.

Imogene couldn't deny it anymore. Her eyes filled up as she nodded. "Four and a half months."

"Who's the father? Does he know?" Martha asked gently.

"John doesn't know and he'll never want to." Imogene replied trying to stop crying.

"John Hart is the father?" Tosh asked and Imogene nodded.

"We had finished it. I couldn't leave the twenty first century and he couldn't stay. His life was travelling through space and time. My life was here and now. I know I was pregnant until a week later when I was late." Imogene confirmed.

Martha hugged Imogene. That was the same reason she had stopped travelling with the Doctor. She couldn't keep jumping through space and time having adventures. Her family had needed her and she'd worked her ass off for her degree and she didn't want to give it up. The Doctor could never have stayed on Earth. Tosh slipped a supportive arm around Imogene's shoulders as she and Martha twigged the rest of the story. She hadn't told the others yet.

"Are you going to tell Ianto and Jack?" Tosh asked.

"They're going to go mad. When they found out about me and John the one thing they warned me not to do was get pregnant." Imogene explained.

"You may be able to hide your bump but you can't hide a baby. When we get back to the hub you should just get it over with." Tosh advised as they returned to the hub.

As Martha, Imogene and Tosh waked back to their desks, Jack came out of his office and walked over to the team. "I just had DCI Swanson on the phone. She wants us to help out on this kidnapping case; you know the pregnant women disappearing and turning up dead?" Jack explained.

"Why? She hates us and by 'us' I mean you." Owen stated to Jack in his usual polite manner.

"There's a detail that the media doesn't know about. Both bodies of the women have been found without their baby. They've been cut open and the baby removed." Jack explained. Tosh and Ianto looked at each other, memories of being held captive and almost being butchered by the cannibals in the Breacon Beacons coming back to haunt them with a vengeance.

"So they're thinking we might know something about this?" Mickey asked.

"We've seen something like this before, but that was more 'The Hills Have Eyes' than the caesarean from hell." Ianto explained, repressing the feeling of a meat cleaver being held against his throat.

"There's also another reason. Kathy's younger sister Chloe hasn't been seen since last night. Apparently she left a fortieth birthday party early and walked home but has since then vanished off the face of the earth and Chloe Swanson is six months pregnant." Jack added. "Owen and Martha you have to go and figure out if there are any teeth marks or anything which wouldn't have come from Earth. Ianto, Tosh and Mickey you three try to find anything which might link to this. Unsolved murders, rift activity; that sort of thing. Imogene come with me to talk to Kathy see if she knows anything." Jack ordered. Martha and Owen went to sort out their gear and Tosh nodded at Imogene and mouthed 'do it'.

Imogene chewed her lip and hugged her stomach. "Ianto, Jack I need to talk to you guys in private."

Jack gestured to his office and the three of them walked up the stairs. As the door shut behind them Owen and Mickey looked at their wives who mouthed 'she's pregnant' and gestured to Jack's office where Jack and Ianto could be seen gawping at Imogene.

"What was that?" Ianto asked. It must be one of Imogene's pranks. She couldn't be serious?

Imogene kept staring at her trainers. "I'm pregnant."

"How did that happen?" Jack asked.

"When two people love each other very much," Imogene snapped sarcastically.

"Hey calm down, who's the father?" Ianto asked, dreading the answer.

"John Hart. He doesn't know; we finished it before I found out myself. Besides it's not his fault; it takes two you know." Imogene explained trying not to get John into any trouble.

"Why didn't you tell us when you got home?" Ianto asked.

"I thought you'd be mad and I didn't want to ruin the twin's birthday." Imogene replied.

"We're not mad, just shocked. You're a big girl Imogene; whatever you decide to do is your decision. You're my sister and we'll stand by you." Ianto reassured hugging Imogene and thinking about how good it would feel to castrate John Hart with a very rusty saw…

"Don't even consider it, it's not like he's around." Imogene muttered.

"Stay out of my head." Ianto teased.

"Stop having thoughts of castrating my ex-boyfriend." Imogene smiled weakly and allowed Jack to hug her as well.

"If it's a boy you could call him Jack." Jack suggested. Ianto rolled his eyes and Imogene sighed.

"I don't know what to do. Sometimes I think that I couldn't do it and should have he or she adopted but then I see little kids playing in a park or parents with their babies in their buggies and I think 'I want that'. Then I think about being a single parent in Torchwood. If something happened, who'd look after the child?" Imogene explained.

"Hey we managed it with the twins. Martha and Mickey have managed with Adeola and we'll all help you no matter what. And if something happened what do you think we'd do? Let it starve? Don't be daft." Jack replied.

"Thanks, I was worried you'd hit the roof." Imogene admitted.

"I can't say I like the idea but it's your body and your choice." Ianto said hugging his sister again.

"Right work to do, come on kiddo we need to see Swanson." Jack said and he and Imogene left the office.

"What's happening with Imogene?" Tosh asked. "She told us at lunch," Tosh explained to Ianto's confused expression.

"We haven't decided yet. But if John Hart comes to visit I'll take personal pleasure in ensuring he never has any other children." Ianto replied, and they got to work.

There was nothing that had happened in the city like this however when they expanded their search they found that there had been reports of similar murders worldwide. In Sydney, three pregnant women had been killed in 1965. In Dubai five pregnant women had been killed in 1975. In Athens six women had been murdered in 1985. In New York four pregnant women had been killed in 1995. In Cairo seven women had been murdered in 2005. All had been pregnant and all of the corpses had the foetuses removed. There seemed to be nothing all the women had in common apart from the fact they were pregnant. Nobody had ever been brought to justice and the cases had all gone cold.

"Why do I get the feeling this mightn't be aliens?" Ianto muttered running his hand along his neck. Tosh squeezed his hand.

"Hopefully we and the police can put a stop to it." Tosh replied as they tried to find some connection between the women who had been killed and the two now missing; Jamila Mousset and Chloe Swanson.

"We're here to speak to DCI Swanson. She's expecting us." Imogene said politely to the woman at the reception desk at the police station.

"Fifth floor on the right hand side." The receptionist said and Imogene and Jack went up in the lift to the fifth floor. Kathy Swanson was in her office staring vacantly at a picture on her desk.

"Kathy?"

Kathy looked up at the sound of Jack Harkness' voice. She hadn't wanted to do this but she had needed Torchwood's help just in case this was something, as Harkness liked to say 'beyond the police'. She was doing this for Chloe. Chloe and David and the baby.

"You've decided to help us then." Kathy stated.

"We have, just in case this is something that would require our expertise." Jack replied sincerely sitting down in front of her desk with Imogene beside him.

"I don't think we've been introduced and I've have preferred it to be in easier circumstances, Kathy Swanson," Kathy said offering her hand to Imogene.

"Imogene Jones," Imogene replied. "Would you have any information of the other woman? Jamila Mousset?"

"Twenty nine years old and she's expecting her second child. She went missing after a night out with her friends. Her husband is a lawyer and was on a stag weekend when she went missing. As for Chloe, everyone in our family was at my party. The others have already asked me about last night. Chloe had left early because she'd felt sick. I should have got her a taxi, made sure she was safe." Kathy replied.

"It wasn't your fault." Jack consoled.

"Some fortieth birthday. I thought the worst thing I'd wake up to was a hangover or a grey hair. Not that my baby sister has gone missing." Kathy said trying to keep her emotions in check.

"We'll help you as best we can. If we find any leads we'll ring you as soon as we get it." Jack promised as they made to leave. At the door, Kathy spoke again.

"Why did you agree to help? You didn't seem keen when I rang you." Kathy pressed. Jack looked at Imogene.

"You're not the only one whose job it is to protect the city." Jack replied and they left.

Kathy turned back to her desk and the picture that was in the small silver frame of her and her sister with their arms around each other. Kathy was grinning and pointing at Chloe's stomach and Chloe was pulling an overdramatic 'Oh my God' face. It had been taken when they'd found out Chloe was pregnant. Kathy herself medically couldn't have children after taking a bullet in her lower stomach when she was a beat-cop. She had been looking forward to being an aunt and spoiling her niece and nephew rotten. Now she wasn't so sure she'd ever see her sister again…

"Thinking like that will get you nowhere Katherine. Chloe will be alright. She's tough as anything." Kathy scolded herself and made a silent prayer. _"Please God, let my sister be OK."_

"Poor Kathy, I've never seen her like that before." Jack said. Normally Kathy was as tough as Chuck Norris's fists. You didn't cross her easily and she wasn't afraid to take Torchwood down a peg whenever she could. The fact she'd asked them to help showed how much she cared for her sister.

"I know," Imogene replied looking around. Anything or anyone could be behind this.

"Speaking of which, you need to be careful. If whatever it is that's doing this is hunting pregnant women, you make sure that you're not on the streets after dark and have a weapon on you at all times." Jack warned.

"I know that. No baby-hungry alien bastard's taking my baby without a fight." Imogene vowed running her hands over her stomach. She wasn't sure whether she even wanted to keep her child but you could be as sure as hellfire that she wasn't going to give her baby up without a fight. The pair of them walked down the street and into the black SUV and drove off.

Neither of them saw the being that watched them from an alleyway. Neither of them noticed how he hungrily licked his lips at the sight of Imogene's slightly swollen stomach as their conversation reached his ears.

Neither of them realised that Imogene's life was now in extreme danger…


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed since Imogene had announced her pregnancy and she sat in the hospital while the nurse ran the ultrasound scanner over her stomach. On the screen the mass moving around was pointed out. Imogene stared at the screen unblinking. When she had first found out she was pregnant, she had considered abortion but couldn't go through with it. After all the death and destruction Torchwood had seen over the years; Imogene couldn't kill her child with two pills. However Imogene wouldn't deny that on more than one occasion she had to stop herself going to a hospital and asking a doctor where she could get an abortion because she knew she wasn't ready for a child. But Imogene had made her bed and it was time to lie down in it.

"Would you like to know the sex?" the nurse asked.

"Why not," Imogene replied shrugging. The nurse moved the scanner about until she stopped.

"Congratulations Imogene, you've got a little boy in there." The nurse smiled as she printed off a small image of the ultrasound as Imogene wiped the gel off her stomach.

Imogene left the hospital and walked back to the hub. As she walked, Imogene felt as if someone was following her but shrugged it off. It was around four in the afternoon and the schools had just let out, the streets were crowded. In the hub the usual hubbub of noise was echoing. The twins were playing with Adeola and the adults were discussing the kidnapping case. There was nothing new, no new bodies had turned up and no more women had gone missing. Patience was wearing very thin between the police and Torchwood.

"How was the scan?" Ianto asked.

"Alright I guess." Imogene shrugged.

"Do you know what it is yet?" Tosh asked.

"A boy," Imogene whispered. The twins were yet to know anything.

"That's brilliant!" Ianto said.

"It's going to be a boy!" Jack bellowed to Owen and Martha in the med bay who called up a shout of congratulations.

"Guys, ex-nay on the aby-bay!" Imogene snapped in Pig Latin gesturing to the three children.

Imogene scowled and sat down at her desk. Her hormones were driving her up the bloody wall. Being pregnant sucked. November could not come soon enough. That reminded her, Imogene needed to talk to social services about having her, no, the baby adopted. It may seem selfish but it was the only option which would be best for all of them. The adoption process would make sure that the baby was given to a family who would care for her and give her a better life than Imogene could. The reason Ianto and Jack had managed with the twins was because the three of them were able to establish a balancing act between looking after the kids as well as going to work and school. Their family was … unique enough as it was.

Mickey walked over and slung Adeola over his shoulders, letting her squeal excitedly. As Imogene watched them, she felt a pang in her chest. Maybe keeping her daughter would be a good thing? She would have the others to help if she needed it and when the twins were babies, she was able to look after them. Imogene rubbed her forehead. She wasn't sure on what to do. She was changing her mind with every change of mood. It would figure that she wouldn't have a normal pregnancy when everything else in her life was beyond all forms of weird.

Later that evening when they were at home and the twins away to bed, Ianto and Jack sat down with Imogene to talk about the baby. They wanted to know if she'd made up her mind yet.

"I'm going to have him adopted." Imogene said.

"Why? We already told you we can and will help you, no matter what." Jack stated

"I'm trying to be realistic. The twins will always have at least one parent because you're immortal Jack. But let's be serious. If something happened and touch wood it doesn't, but if something happened and I was killed then he'll be on his own. John is hardly going to want to know about him and you guys say you'll look after him but we can't be sure of what's going to happen. I want him to have consistency, stability and…" Imogene trailed off.

"Normality," Ianto finished.

"Who wants normality?" Jack scoffed. That way of life seemed so dull to him.

"That's what I mean! Look at us! We work for a supposed secret organisation that hunts aliens. Jack, you're immortal, Ianto I'm your twin sister who's ten years younger than you because I fell through a rift in time and space. The twins upstairs were conceived by you two and carried by Jack. And, oh yeah, the father of my baby is from 3000 years in the future who can time travel at will! How is that anywhere near normal?" Imogene shouted.

"Look just calm down ok?" Ianto asked.

"If I remember correctly when you found out about the twins you agreed that there was no other family that you'd want to be part of!" Jack snapped losing his temper. Imogene may be his sister-in-law but no-one insulted his family and got away with it

"Well guess what? I've grown up since then. I am having my child adopted and there is nothing either of you can say or do that will change my mind!" Imogene yelled and stormed out of the house. Ianto made to follow her but Jack held onto his arm.

How could she say that stuff?" Ianto asked, feeling genuinely hurt.

"I recall you saying worse than this before the kids were born. We were rowing every hour of the day about mixing kids with Torchwood, remember?" Jack reminded.

"She's always had a temper. We should just let her calm own and we'll talk out this tomorrow. It'll be alright, promise." Ianto reassured pressing a kiss to Jack's forehead and hoping he was right.

Imogene fumed as she waked down the street away from the house. Why couldn't Jack and Ianto see things from her point of view? Sure all this Men In Black stuff was cool six or seven years ago but not when things change when a baby is chucked into the mix. It would be best for all of them to let her son be adopted. If that was the best option then why couldn't Imogene stop referring to the baby as 'her son'? Imogene reached a small play park and sat down on one of the swings leaning her cheek against the cold metal chain to sort through her thoughts.

She hadn't heard the footsteps until it was too late.

A pair of hands grabbed her arms and forced them behind her back while another pair grabbed her legs at the same time. Imogene let out a scream but a gloved hand was forced over her mouth. As she tried to fight them off the stale stink of BO invaded her nose. That scared her more than anything else. She was being kidnapped but the stale stink of BO meant one thing.

It wasn't something alien taking those women.

_They were human!_

That was her last thought as the lack of oxygen got to her and she passed out. When Imogene came round her arms were tied behind her back and two pregnant women looked back at her with fear in their eyes. Imogene knew who the women were. She'd seen their faces hundreds of times over the past two weeks. Jamila Mousset moved slowly towards Imogene and untied her wrists while Chloe Swanson helped her stand up. Imogene looked around the almost-empty small dark room and her stomach turned over at the stink of human excrement, BO and fear.

"Where am I?" Imogene asked, leaning against Chloe, feeling light-headed, like she was going to pass out again.

"Hell." Jamila answered.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning in the kitchen of the Harkness-Jones residence, Listelle had a question for Jack as she finished her cereal.

"Daddy is Imogene having a baby?" the six year old asked.

"What?" Jack asked, distractedly as Alex was refusing to get put on his school jumper.

"Is Imogene having a baby?" Listelle repeated.

"Why do you think she's having a baby" Jack asked, Listelle having his full attention after jamming Alex's jumper over his head.

"Because Bradley's mummy is having a baby and her tummy is big and he says that sometimes his mummy gets angry at them when the house is messy. And Imogene has a big tummy when she hugs us and she was angry last night. I had a bad dream and when I woke up she was shouting at you and Tad." Listelle explained.

Jack felt a mixture of thoughts in his head. First was how astute kids really were and second, how would he explain that Imogene didn't want to keep the child? Last night's argument was still echoing in his brain on a loop, her spiteful words about her family stung like a hundred wasp stings. Jack turned his attention back to Alex who was insisting he didn't want to go to school.

"You two get your bags and into the car otherwise we'll be late." Ianto said moving into the kitchen holding Listelle's _Princess and the Frog_ and Alex's _Ben 10_ schoolbags in either hand. The twins took their bags and raced out the door. As soon as they had left, Ianto turned to Jack.

"Imogene's not in her bed. She didn't come home last night." Ianto said.

"She probably didn't have her key when she stormed out and slept at the hub instead." Jack reassured, a very bad feeling going through his mind. A feeling he knew Ianto was also feeling.

"What if…" Ianto began but Jack cut him off.

"She'll be alright. She's probably at the hub or at Owen and Tosh's place. Don't worry." Jack said giving Ianto a comforting kiss as they left the house, neither wanting to voice the other's fear.

After dropping the twins off at school and arranging for them to be picked up by their child minder, Jack broke all the speed limits to get to the hub. Owen and Tosh were already there working when they arrived and Mickey and Martha came into the hub a few minutes later after leaving Adeola with her child minder. Ianto checked the CCTV of the previous night and nobody had come into the hub or left it since they had. He shook his head at Jack who sighed and turned to the others.

"OK guys have any of you seen Imogene since last night?" Jack asked.

"Not since we left." Martha answered.

"Is something wrong?" Tosh asked.

"We'd had an argument last night about the baby. Imogene wants to have it adopted because she doesn't think she could cope with a baby. Tempers rose and things were said and she stormed out of the house. Are you sure she didn't go to either of your places to hide out?" Ianto asked.

"Sorry mate she didn't," Mickey apologised.

"Hang on, if she isn't here or at any of ours, you think…" Owen trailed off as they realised what Jack and Ianto were really worried about.

"Tosh and Mickey check the CCTV on the streets around our house. Ianto try her phone again in case you get an answer. Owen and Martha have you found anything on the bodies which could help us?" Jack asked.

"The bodies were killed due to trauma caused by extreme and sudden loss of blood caused obviously by the foetuses being ripped out. The damage inside the bodies is brutal. It looks like someone literally took a chainsaw to the placenta to get the foetus out. I've never seen a body brutalised in a way like this since… since The Year." Martha informed Jack, remembering how the Toclafane had jeered as they tore a poor soul apart. It had taken all her willpower not to scream and give away her position.

"Anything that can ensure its alien that's causing this?" Jack asked.

"Nothing, the scariest shit I ever seen was caused by humans so we can't rule that out." Owen replied as the sound of Bon Jovi's _Living on a Prayer_ filled the hub. Imogene's phone was sitting on her desk.

"I think I've got something. Having Big Brother watching us in every public park has for once been a good thing." Mickey said.

Everyone crowded around Tosh and Mickey's computers. The image showed Imogene walking into the park. For a few minutes nothing seemed to happen until four masked men carrying an unconscious Imogene exited the park an put her in the back of a dark blue van which sped off. Mickey re-wound the footage and zoomed in on the number plate which had been removed.

"The second rule of stealing a vehicle; remove the number plates. The first is don't get caught." Ianto said.

"How do you know that?" Owen asked.

"Imogene and I grew up on the Cromwell Estate. There, we were taught how to steal a car before being taught how to walk and talk." Ianto replied in a whisper.

"The van appears several times before leaving the city limits where the cameras stop however speed cameras on the main road out of the city heading north clocked it at 120 mph then we lose it again." Tosh informed. "Think we've found our kidnappers." Jack nodded and went up to his office to inform Swanson that they were one step closer to finding the women.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

Kathy Swanson was sick of the constant waiting. Waiting to hear another body has been found or another girl has been taken or whether or not Harkness and his lot had found anything. She was beginning to lose hope at finding Chloe and the baby alive. Kathy was lost in her thoughts and jumped when the shrill sound of her phone ringing echoed through her office. Kathy paused before she picked up the phone, worried at what she was going to hear.

"DCI Swanson,"

"Kathy, it's Jack and we think we've found something. We've got footage of four men in masks kidnapping a girl from a park and putting her into a dark blue van. Have any been reported stolen recently?" Jack asked.

"Hang on," Kathy said and checked the records. "A builder reported having his van stolen from outside his home over two months ago, the same time the first woman Sophie Anderson disappeared. There's nothing come of it since. No reported sights or anything since."

"Figures but do you have anything useful?" Jack muttered.

"Hold your horses, a waitress in the restaurant where Jamila Mousset was before she was taken said she had seen a dark blue van outside the bar but didn't think anything of it. Now that I think about it, there as a van outside the pub I was at for my birthday. It's in some of the pictures we took outside." Kathy said riffling through the digital photos she had saved onto her computer.

"Send them to us and we'll see if we get anything," Jack said and Kathy obliged. The picture she sent was the one of her and Chloe with their arms around each other. "Nice dress by the way."

"Not the time Harkness." Kathy snapped and smiled slightly as she heard Ianto say the same thing.

"We'll be in touch," Jack said.

"Hang on one minute Harkness; the girl who was taken, no-one's been reported missing. Who is she?" Kathy asked at the last minute.

"Imogene Jones, my sister-in-law." Jack answered.

"The girl who was here with you a few weeks ago?" Kathy asked, she had thought the young woman was pregnant.

"Yeah, five months gone. So it's personal now." Jack said and hung up.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

Imogene woke up slowly. Beside her Chloe was hugging her knees and Jamila was in a corner to the right of the room and seemed to be praying. Imogene tried to get a better look at the room she was in. it was tiny, probably eight feet by ten. The only light came from a tiny window near the cracked plaster ceiling. The walls were filthy and the floor was worn concrete. It seemed to be some sort of cellar they were in. Imogene tried the door in vain but obviously it was locked. There was a bucket at the other end of the room and unusually, three bowls filled with some sort of soup lay in the middle of the floor. Noticing Imogene was awake, Chloe turned to her and handed her a bowl.

"What's your name?" Chloe asked.

"Imogene Jones." Imogene replied.

"Chloe Swanson and that's Jamila Mousset. You can at it, it isn't poison. They're keeping us alive for now." Chloe replied.

The three women sat together. Each discussing their families and what had happened. Jamila had a son called Muhammad and her husband had been at a stag weekend and she'd been at a hen night. Her sister-in-law was to get married at the end of August and her baby was due next month. Chloe was expecting her first child and she and her fiancé David were hoping to marry in the next spring. Imogene explained that her relationship with John didn't work out because they had different 'commitments' and she'd lost contact with him after the break up. It wasn't a lie; just not the full story. None of them interrupted or judged the other for what their situation was. They were all in trouble and needed to stick together. Jamila explained that she had left the hen night because she had felt tired and the last thing she remembered was someone grabbing her before she woke up in the cell. Chloe explained she'd left her older sister Kathy's 40th birthday because she'd felt a bit sick and got hit on the head. Imogene explained she'd had an argument with Jack and Ianto before storming out.

"What I don't get is why they're doing this. What do they gain from murdering innocent women?" Imogene asked aloud.

"Profit my dear."

The three women jumped, none of them had heard the door unlock. A group of five men stood in the doorway. Two of them were built like a pair of tanks. The other two were slight and had a cold, empty look in their eyes. The man in the middle was shorter and thinner than the others and had a thin wrinkled face. What was possibly the scariest thing about them was how… normal they looked. They looked like anyone you'd pass in the street and not look twice at.

"What do you mean by 'profit'? I don't understand." Jamila asked, trying not to show her fear.

"There is a market for those of your… condition. It can be very profitable and rewarding for myself and my comrades." The man replied gesturing to those beside him.

"What do you mean by that?" Chloe asked. Dread filled Imogene's stomach as she remembered….

"Sophie Anderson and Nikki Robert's bodies were found without… without their babies. You take the babies and what? Sell them?" Imogene asked.

The man's cold laugh echoed through the room. "You are half right my pet. We do take the children but find a better use for the things. They're worth more dead than alive." With that the men left and locked the door behind them.

Imogene, Jamila and Chloe looked at one another before protectively holding onto their stomachs as they realised the meaning of his words. If they weren't found soon they were going to die and their babies, their poor beautiful innocent babies…

Jamila had been there for almost a month and her time was drawing nearer; she was now eight months pregnant and meant that she'd be next. Jamila cried as she thought of her beautiful son Muhammad and her handsome and wonderful husband Ali. They'd met at a wedding when they were both twenty one and hit it off straight away and had married by the time they were twenty five and Muhammad had come along a year later. Jamila would have done anything to see her family again. To hold them and hug them and tell them how much she loved them both. She'd tell Muhammad that no matter what, she'd be there with him in his heart until they met again in Paradise. But she couldn't give up yet. Jamila was going to come home to her husband and son.

Chloe had been stuck here for two weeks. Her shoulders shook as she thought about David. They had known each other in primary school and would always one-up the other to show whether boys or girls were the superior sex. He was better at football but she could run faster. He was the best speller but she always got 10 out of 10 for her maths. On the last day of primary school they had been dared to kiss one another. They'd gone to different secondary schools. But when she was working as a primary school teacher at a school which was getting new classrooms built; David was one of the workmen. They had recognised one another and spent ages chatting and when David asked her out for a drink, she could only say yes. He had proposed last Christmas and when they found out she was pregnant on the same day after trying so many times… but she wouldn't give up yet. She was going to have a family with David. No matter what.

Imogene thought about John. They didn't get off to the best start. He'd shot her and she'd yelled at them. Then he kissed her in front of Tosh and Owen. She had run into him literally in London when she was 19. He was being chased by the police for attempting to steal the crown jewels of all things and she let him hide out in her room. They'd had a laugh and went out for a drink and one thing led to another… their relationship had been on/off but they enjoyed their time together. John actually could be caring for a lover when he wanted to be. When she turned 21 John had given her a necklace which was from some galaxy in the 40th century. It had a silver chain and a large blue stone that was from some far-off planet. She remembered when he gave it to her.

"_Oh my God, John that is so beautiful!" Imogene said opening the box and trailing her finger over the chain and stone. _

"_Let me," John whispered taking it from the box and fixing the necklace around her neck, placing a kiss where the chain laced against her skin. _

_That kiss tuned into a passionate kiss between them and they moved towards the bed…_

Imogene thought about her family. The remorse caused by the cold harsh words she'd said last night felt like barbed wire striking her skin. She'd been acting so selfish recently. She wasn't thinking about her child or her family. She was thinking about herself and what an inconvenience her son would be on her life. She had convinced herself it would be best for all of them but she was really thinking about what was best for her. Imogene couldn't and wouldn't trade her insane family for any other in the universe. She thought of the different memories with Jack and Ianto and the twins.

When she would curl up on the sofa with Listelle and Alex to watch classic Disney movies like 'Snow White' and 'Aladdin' when Jack and Ianto would be working late because of a rift spike.

When she and Jack had piled he twins with coffee, unaware of the consequence.

When she and Ianto had covered Jack with body glitter after he wouldn't stop referring to himself as Edward and Ianto as Bella after watching all of the Twilight movies with Tosh and Martha.

The night the twins were born and they couldn't work out how to stop them crying at three in the morning.

"I'm sorry boys; please get us out of here. Please." Imogene prayed to herself.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

"Almost got it… are you guys getting this too?" Tosh asked as she tapped at her keyboard and was talking to the police at the same time.

"Getting it now," Kathy replied and one of the officers let out a low whistle. Through different speed camera footage and on-screen maps of the area; together the police and Torchwood managed to trace the van to a large manor house. None of them had been expecting that. They weren't dealing with criminal scumbags. They were dealing with very rich criminal scumbags. If this was where the women were being held; they needed to get to it and fast. They didn't know if any other women had been taken or killed yet. The plan was simple. The Torchwood team and the police's armed SWAT team were going to raid the building and Owen and Martha were going to follow with paramedics in case any of the women were injured.

"When are we going to pay these bastards a visit?" Kathy asked at the other end of the phone.

"As soon as we… call you back. Something's come up." Jack answered and hung up by a light and an all-too familiar face entered the hub. Ianto took one look at the intruder and aimed his gun at the intruder's head.

"Am I interrupting something?" John Hart asked looking at the team.

"You could say that. We were about to go and free three pregnant women who are about to be killed by god-knows-what and steal their unborn children. And we really don't need your help so if you wouldn't mind leaving we'd be grateful." Tosh answered in a very cutting voice.

"Well let me help. Saving damsels in distress from aliens is one of the things I do best. And Eye Candy could you please lower the gun." John said with a smirk which dropped as Ianto shrugged and aimed the gun to John's crotch. He'd promised Imogene he wouldn't castrate John but said nothing whatsoever about shooting John's balls off. The team looked from one another to Ianto.

"Do you want to tell him?" Owen asked.

"Tell me what? Where's Imogene by the way?" John asked.

"She's one of the women we're going to save from being killed. And I suppose you should know that Imogene is six months pregnant with your child." Ianto explained and holstered his gun. John looked momentarily stunned but looked at them.

"What are we waiting for then?" John asked. Those guys made a huge mistake taking Imogene because when John Hart fights anyone; he fights to kill.

Jack redialled Kathy's number. "Get your armed men ready. We'll be there in five minutes." The team grabbed their guns and got into the SV with Owen and Martha heading to the hospital. It was time.

**AN: This is for PCJanto and Stardiva who wanted John Hart to turn up. Have you guessed what the men mean by the babies being worth more dead than alive? A hint would be a line from Countrycide; **_**'this is our harvest' **_**but it isn't cannibalism.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Ok it's been about two months since I updated this so to recap: Imogene is Ianto's twin sister who fell through the rift when she was 15 and is ten years younger than he is. Now 21 she is pregnant with John Hart's baby and has been kidnapped along with Swanson's sister Chloe and another woman named Jamila by five men who have made a horrific business from babies…**

The three women jumped when the door opened and the two men along with the two huge guys walked into the room and grabbed Jamila. Jamila screamed however before Chloe and Imogene could do anything, one of the bigger men who was built like a tank aimed a shotgun at them. They could only watch as Jamila was taken away; they had no weapons and on the wrong end of a shotgun. As the lock clicked Chloe began to cry and sat hugging her knees. She and Jamila had become close during her two weeks in the cellar. Imogene had only been there for under a day and she was holding back tears. Jamila and her baby were going to be killed. As Chloe sank to the floor, Imogene looked towards the small filthy window as the sunlight streaming through the window was briefly blocked by a moving shadow. Imogene blinked and the shadow was gone. Imogene wrapped her arms around Chloe.

"She'll be alright." Imogene whispered desperately.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

Jamila struggled against the bonds binding her wrists against the cold metal table. The room she was in was upstairs from the cellar. The window was covered by metal shutters and the armed men stood at the doorway while two of the other men began putting on gloves and reaching for a needle. Jamila screamed and a hand was clamped over her mouth by one of the men. Jamila bit his hand and kept screaming until the other man injected her with a needle and her body went numb as the sedative kicked in.

"Hurry it up, the harvesting has to be done while she's alive!" the man snapped.

And then the world exploded.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

_Fifteen minutes earlier_

"What's going to happen when we get there is a basic smash and grab. My team and I will find and take out the men." Jack began.

"Half of our men will be with you while the other half will be with me and we'll split up to find the women." Daryl, head of the Police's armed SWAT team added.

"We're going with you; it's our sisters who are in danger." Ianto said gesturing to himself and Kathy as they all pulled on bullet-proof vests. As they got into their different vehicles, both Torchwood and the police were hoping and praying that the women would be alright. As they sped through the city, sirens blaring and going as fast as they could; they knew that time would be running out.

When they arrived at the manor house at last, the SWAT team used a ram to smash down the door and they pulled their guns and raced to the different places. It what would have been a study or dining room was a metal table with a woman tied onto it and four men grouped around it. Two men who were built, like brick shithouses were standing with scalpels and the other with guns.

"Police stay here you are!" Ryan, the deputy head of the SWAT team yelled. Jack checked out the woman. It was Jamila Mousset and she was conscious and was whispering nonstop in Arabic. Jack felt fury and disgust rush through his body; those sick bastards were going to mutilate her while she was conscious.

"Jamila, Jamila listen to me. We're here to help. Where are Chloe and Imogene?" Jack asked. Jamila was unable to move because of the drug in her system but she was still conscious enough to understand what was asked.

"Cellar." Jamila whispered, breaking off from her recitation of the Islamic Creed. Jack pressed his comm.

"In the cellar!" Jack said to Ianto who called it to the others and they raced from their positions on the first and ground floors to the cellars. The stairs into the cellar was behind a doorway and into a room with two doors. One was unlocked and empty and the other locked. The SWAT men broke down the door and Kathy and Ianto raced inside.

Imogene and Chloe were sitting holding hands in a corner of the cellar. They could hear the noises of people rushing about and felt a rush of hope as the many footsteps got nearer. As the door came down, the women couldn't help but scream when they were grabbed by two people. These screams turned into exclamations of joy when they realised they were being hugged by their siblings. Chloe and Kathy were holding onto each other as tight as they could and each woman was crying onto the other's shoulders. Ianto and Imogene were hugging each other and Imogene began crying onto her twin's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for what I said. I'm so so so sorry!" Imogene whispered.

"It doesn't matter as long as you're alright." Ianto said and pressed on his comm. "Jack we've got them." Ianto said as he and Kathy held onto their sisters and the SWAT men ordered them to get out of the house as they rushed up the stairs when shots began to fire.

Upstairs Mickey and Jack freed Jamila from the table and Mickey, along with one of the SWAT men tried to get her outside. However one of the larger men began firing shots. Jack and Tosh along with half the SWAT guys returned fire and the man slumped against the wall dead. The other two men held up their hands as the other SWAT men rushed into the room with their guns aimed as the other man cocked his gun and aimed at Tosh, however he was blasted away by the police and Jack and John returning fire. The police moved forward and slapped handcuffs onto the men who were protesting they were only following orders.

Outside the house Mickey called Martha and told her and Owen to be ready for them when they got to the hospital. The sedative had begun to wear off and Jamila was wincing as she rubbed her red raw wrists which had been injured by the bindings.

"Jamila!" Chloe and Imogene cried as they rushed towards her and hugged her tight. As Jamila returned the hug, the two men were taken from the house with their hands cuffed behind their backs. As the three women glared at the men who were going to kill them mercilessly; they were joined by the others while the police shoved the men into one of the vans and sped off. Jack and Tosh and Mickey wrapped their arms around Imogene.

"Let's get out of here." Jack said.

"I don't think so."

It was the man who controlled the whole operation. Before any of them could reach for their guns, he pulled a handgun from his pocket and aimed it at the three pregnant women.

"It's over; your sick operation is done." Jack stated.

"As long as there is money to be made it will never be over. There are plenty more pregnant women with a fortune in their stomachs. And as long as there are pregnant women, it will never be over. The harvest will never …"

What the harvest would never do, they didn't know as the man's brains exploded from his head and scattered on the ground as his body fell to the ground. Standing behind him, holding a gun in either hand stood John who callously kicked the corpse aside.

"I think it is over." John whispered and walked towards Imogene, kissing her. Despite the fact they were over, Imogene couldn't help but kiss John again and she moved his hand to rest on her stomach as they broke apart for air.

"You girls need to get checked out." Kathy said. As Jamila, Chloe and Imogene got into the second police vehicle with a few of the SWAT men who stayed behind the team decided to do some digging around the house. It was Tosh who found the documents showing what had been happening. The ringleader Antony Greggs had made a fortune worldwide through organ harvesting. The black market paid up to ten grand for a heart and baby's organs were more valuable. Feeling sick to the core, the police and Torchwood knew they would do everything to ensure this sick operation would end today and that Greggs' henchmen demon doctors would never see the light of day again.

~~~~~TW~~~~~

Imogene had been given an all clear and advised to eat and rest. Chloe and Jamila were going to be kept in for observation for a few days. Chloe and Jamila were in the same ward in neighbouring beds and the three of them were discussing their babies when Chloe's parents came onto the ward with Kathy and Chloe's fiancé David. As the Swanson's talked, Imogene drew the curtains around Jamila's bed so they could talk in private. Imogene was amazed at how Jamila hadn't been screaming when the cavalry had arrived. Jamila explained that she believed she was going to die and as with Islam custom had wanted to make the Shahada or the Creed to be her final words. Imogene held her hand as Jamila wiped her eyes. Before they could say anything the curtain around the bed was ripped back and a joyful shout rent the air.

"Mummy! Mummy!"

A little dark skinned toddler with curly brown hair and dressed in dungarees that could only be little Muhammad rushed beside the bed and grabbed Jamila's hand chattering nineteen to the dozen. Jamila stroked her son's hair and kissed his forehead as a tall handsome man approached the bed and kissed his wife. Imogene stepped back to give Jamila some privacy with Ali and Muhammad. Imogene left the ward and walked down the stairs to find a payphone. She was ready to go home.

Ianto picked her up at the hospital and on the trip home they talked about the argument and Imogene apologised for all the horrible things she had said to Ianto and Jack. What had happened had allowed her to realise what was really important in life. Family. Nothing else in the world mattered apart from family. Even if it wasn't the typical mum-dad-2.4 kids family. Even if they weren't blood relatives; just some brilliant friends; they were still your family. When they got home, Imogene and Jack hugged in the hallway and she apologised repeatedly for what she had said. John was in the living room, getting his butt kicked in _Ben 10: Alien Smasher_ on the Xbox by Alex. Listelle was hunched over a colouring book and although neither of them knew about what had happened to Imogene; Listelle did have a pressing question for her aunt.

"Are you having a baby Imogene?" Listelle asked.

Imogene sat down on the sofa beside Listelle and put her six year old niece's hand to her stomach.

"Yes sweetheart I am. You'll have a cousin in a few months." Imogene confirmed.

_Some months later…_

"Ok Imogene you're doing really well, just one more push." Martha encouraged.

Imogene pushed as hard as she could and swore repeatedly under her breath. She'd been in labour for eighteen hours and it hurt like nothing else. When her waters had broken in the hub, everyone was ready to do something. Owen and Martha prepped the med bay. Mickey and Tosh took the kids home and Jack and Ianto were at either side of Imogene, holding onto her hands.

"Come on sis, if Jack can do it then so can you." Ianto reassured.

"It fucking hurts!" Imogene said through clenched teeth. This was the most painful thing in the history of the world and there was no way whatsoever she would ever do this again. Finally it stopped and the sound of crying filled the med bay. Martha and Owen handed over a screaming bundle to Imogene who held her son to her chest. As she stopped his crying, she knew that it had been worth it, just to hold him in her arms. After what had happened, she had stayed in touch with Jamila and Chloe. Jamila had a girl whom she called Fatima and Chloe had had a boy whom she called Mark.

"What are you going to call him?" Jack asked.

Imogene looked up at them. "Toby. I've always liked Toby."

Ianto took his nephew. "Welcome to the world Toby Jones."


End file.
